Russell Kirkpatrick's Books
Across the Face of the World
He's a very earnest writer, that's for sure. His three books to date, show an enthusiasm and bright energy that's appealing to read.
I chanced upon this guy's work in my local library, same as I did with Ian Irvine's. Kirkpatrick, a New Zealander, is perhaps not as wholly accomplished a writer as Irvine, but then again, he doesn't encumber his narrative with too many extraneous details either.
Unlike Irvine's work, Kirkpatrick's trilogy is very much heroic fantasy. There's definite good and bad guys in these books and very little blurring or blending of the two. The protagonists are out to save the world from an invasion by a neighbouring nation led by an immortal evil. Gathering together, they head off on a long journey to the main city of Instruere in order to rouse the decadent rulers into action.
There's more to it than that, but against that backdrop Kirkpatrick is able to indulge his patent love for geography (he's a geographer and cartographer by profession).
Both books possess awesomely drawn maps of the various locales and the descriptions of the places the protagonists meet are lovingly and lavishly done. I'd love to read the notes he's made for Faltha (as the main realm is called). At times though, the terrain is more engaging than what's taking place with his characters.
The scenes and locations at Adunlok are excellent, just to give one example of the geography.
All in all, Across the Face of the World is a great book and it was a refreshing read.
In the Earth Abides the Flame
The Company (as Kirkpatrick calls his band of protagonists) have reached the city of Instruere and are now trying to persuade the powers of the realm of the impending danger. Logically, nothing goes quite right and some very interesting times lay ahead.
The protagonists get split into two groups here and we follow the larger of the two to the far south of Faltha to retrieve the titular artifact.
Due to the fragmentary narrative, the book is less of a whole than the first, but in most ways better. Kirkpatrick's New Zealander background is at play in this book as he depicts the Māori people and their culture, even if disguised by the framework of his own world. There's a lot more meanness this time around as well and the bad guy (well, his main agent actually) is becoming very much one of those characters you love to hate.
The Right Hand of God
The Company and their allies fight the invading Bhrudwan army to determine the fate of Faltha. I won't give too much way, but I will say this last installment meanders a little and it padded out somewhat to give it a bit of volume.
Nonetheless, it wraps up stuff quite nicely and hints that further things may be tale-worthy in the land of Faltha. You can tell Kirkpatrick loves his geography though; the places and the landscapes are described with near-scientific definition.
The books aren't belles lettres by any means and I doubt they'll take out the Nobel Prize, but they entertain and on that basis, they're a success.
I've started to review his new series here.